Parties, Fireworks, and Escaping the Carrows
by milkchocolateboat
Summary: Many forget that Hagrid was once a Gryffindor; a brave, reckless, Gryffindor. And though a "Support Harry Potter party" may not have been the brightest idea during the reign of Severus Snape and the Carrows, it led to fugitives becoming fugitives, friends coming together, and supporters of Dumbledore's Army sending one last explosive message.


_**A/N In Deathly Hallows, it was mentioned on Potterwatch that Hagrid put together a small party to support Harry, and was subsequently forced on the run because of it. I'm trying to make this as canon as possible, so this one-shot takes place before Harry and co. get captured by snatchers, before Neville becomes a permanent resident in the Room of Requirement, and before Ginny leaves the school.**_

_**Disclaimer- I own nothing. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction.**_

If one were to meet the half-giant known as Rubeus Hagrid, they would certainly call him many things. "Large" would probably be the first word out of a stranger's mouth. "Hairy" would most likely be the second. After an in depth talk, "uneducated" would probably end the list, as no one wants to have more than one conversation with a large, hairy, uneducated half-giant.

Not many would take the time to consider that this half-giant was, at one time, sorted into the great house of Gryffindor. After all, many students were under the impression that the "professor" for Care of Magical Creatures had never even held a wand, let alone attended Hogwarts. To think he had once had the Sorting Hat placed upon his gigantic head and that he had been sorted into the great house of Godric Gryffindor was almost laughable. No one suspected that the humble giant could ever attempt something so brave, and that he would make sure that his students could be kept safe from his recklessness.

* * *

The day started out like any other. The Carrows had been tormenting students, children were hiding in any nook and cranny they could fit themselves in, and any non Death Eater teacher was pulling out their remaining grey hairs, trying to figure out how to quell the nasty situations their students were being thrown into.

Just a typical day at Hogwarts in the year 1998.

Students and teachers alike had lost their motivation, and walked around with their heads down and their eyes downcast. The school was being run by the slimy git who killed Albus Dumbledore, and no one was allowed to question the evil theories and practices that were being taught to, and used on, first year students. The name _Voldemort_ was literally taboo, and no muggleborn students were seen anywhere in the school. Not unless they wanted to be killed.

Because of this fear, no student talked about the signs being posted in conspicuous areas all around the school. No student wanted to mention the streamers being smuggled to Rubeus Hagrid's meager cabin. No student said anything when they noticed the suspicious owls that clearly came from the mail order services of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. They all knew Hagrid was up to something, but as long as the average student didn't get involved they knew a _Crucio_ would not come their way.

And in the middle of March, no average, fearful student wanted to attend Rubeus Hagrid's "Support Harry Potter" party. But the children who became involved were not average students.

Hagrid knew that the turnout would most likely be far and few in between. The group that he had come to regularly support, despite the danger it put him in, was that of Dumbledore's Army. There were many among the staff and students that were downright shocked at some of the stunts pulled by the infamous group; one such event being the incident involving the sword of Godric Gryffindoor. How Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood had not been murdered that day was beyond the comprehension of many. Though, some did speculate that Severus Snape got his final revenge when Loony didn't show up after Christmas holidays. But, as were most tales of the outside world, this speculation remained a rumor.

Hagrid himself wasn't too concerned with Luna's whereabouts; he had gotten to know her better recently, and was positive she could fend for herself. After all, he had spent a few good hours with the three sword-stealers in the Forbidden Forest for detention. He told himself that if she could handle herself there, she could handle herself anywhere.

At least, that's what kept him from worrying his beard off about her.

Hagrid waited patiently in front of his run down hut, eyes darting back and forth for any sign of trouble. It was no rumor or joke that the Death Eaters and Death Eater wannabes didn't like the friendly half-giant. It was obvious that they downright despised him. So, he was a little afraid of the results of his rebellious get together, and prayed to whomever was watching over the school to ensure that his party was successful and uninterrupted.

During the year he had to force himself to keep a low profile, because he knew for certain that if he slipped up, he would be killed. But, like most supporters of the Order who remained tied to the school, he was unfortunately aware that his time was indeed running short. So, taking a hint from the ecstatic Weasley twin escapade that had happened almost two years before, Hagrid was determined to go out with a bang. With his _Support Harry_ banner hanging not so high above his head, he waited for students who had gotten the message. He expected maybe three or four of the braver ones to show up, chat a little about the war, and immediately turn tail at the first sign of trouble.

Boy was he wrong.

One lone figure descended the hillside a few hours after dusk, clutching a poster in one shaking hand. The moon had started to rise, and was only a small crescent in the sky. Fog began to gather, leaving Hagrid struggling to make out whether or not the person a few yards in front of him was friend or foe. Hagrid could almost feel the anger radiating off of whoever was walking down towards his hut, but knew almost immediately that it was not a Death Eater.

He would have already been dead if it was.

Upon much closer inspection, Hagrid smiled, and walked into his home ready to put on a pot of tea, leaving the door open for the person who was already making their loud entrance.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY MAD, HAGRID?!" shouted the person who had just walked in, not even bothering with a greeting. Hagrid was too busy gathering plates and tea cups to answer back. He should have known they would be angry. Almost anyone associated with the Order would be.

And rumor was that Ginny Weasley had inherited her mother's temper.

"Now Ginny, I don' know what yeh mean." Hagrid said calmly. He turned around so they would be looking at each other face to face. "Tea?" He asked, while pointing to the brewing pot.

Ginny, as many had noticed, had been getting crankier and crankier as the months had worn on. Rumors spread during September that her brother was sick with Spattergroit, so the students assumed that may have been the source of her anger. A little while later, most of the school was informed that her entire family was full of blood traitors. _That's also cause for concern_, students supposed. But the talk that actively was spread about a certain red head was her adamant support of Undesirable Number One, and her going ons with Dumbledore's Army, a group many had thought to be disbanded.

Hagrid could even tell that she was not doing well. Her face was bruised, though he supposed he had seen worse. Her skin was extremely pale, making her freckles stand out even more. Reminiscent of Hermione Granger's earlier years, her vibrant hair that typically cascaded nicely down her back seemed frayed, bushy, and wild. Her robes seemed to be in worse shape than usual, with a noticeably large dark red stain near her elbow, and Merlin knows what that implied. The only part of Ginny Weasley that Hagrid noticed seemed relatively unchanged was the look in her eyes. Though they seemed to be darting everywhere, they still showed the passion and energy one could only expect from a member of the Weasley clan.

Snapping out of his concerned teacher mode, Hagrid awaited her answer.

Ginny was seething, that much was true, but she took a deep breath in order to steady herself. "How could you be this reckless, Hagrid?" she asked solemnly, eyes leaving his face and looking at the floor. "I know things are getting bad; believe me I do. But this,-" she lifted her head and pointed an accusing finger at one of his homemade signs "-this is just going too far! Do you want to die? If any Slytherins see this, you're as good as gone! There aren't too many good, sane people left in this school. We can't lose you."

Hagrid immediately felt bad, and after a long silence, he noticed his tea was ready. He lifted the kettle, and ushered his guest into one of his oversized chairs. She reluctantly sat down, and grabbed the tea after it was poured like it was a lifeline, picking up one of his infamous rock cakes in the process. The speed at which she was grabbing food was incredible, and he didn't have the stomach to ask exactly why she was so hungry. He already knew.

After finishing some of the "food" laid out in front of her, she relaxed a bit. Looking at her hairy friend, she asked, sign in hand, "What were you thinking, hanging these things? What will happen if the Carrows or Snape see one?"

Hagrid thought carefully before answering. "It's written on stuff yer brothers made." At this statement Ginny looked surprised, but he still continued "It's enchanted, yeh see, so only people who're loyal ter Albus Dumbledore can see it. Genius, if yeh think about it."

She was quiet for a while, digesting the information. Hagrid knew what she was thinking; he himself knew the plan wasn't exactly foolproof. He could still easily get caught. Ginny asked the morbid question once again, but quieter. "Seriously Hagrid, do you want to die?"

"I don't exactly think 'death' is what he's going for."

Ginny whipped her head around, as Fang began to walk over to the newcomer. Hagrid jumped in surprise, and, seeing who it was, welcomed the ever changing Neville Longbottom into his hut to take a seat.

"Thanks Hagrid."

Neville graciously obliged, though not without a wince as he sat his bruised and battered body into one of Hagrid's armchairs. Neville had also been changed by the new rules, but, like Ginny, his eyes stayed strong where his body was lacking.

Seeing her friend relaxing into his seat, Ginny piped up "What were you saying, Neville?"

Neville, whose eyes had closed, opened one and smiled slightly at his giant friend. "Am I right, Hagrid?"

Hagrid grumbled something under his breath, and then cleared his throat. "Yeah, yer right Neville."

He turned to his female guest, who sat with a confused look on her face. "Yeh see Ginny, I've been expectin' the sack for a while, and thought it might be nice ter be like yer brothers. Ya know, go out with a bang and all." He smiled a little, before taking another sip of tea.

Ginny frowned, and was about to make a stern comment to him before more voices interrupted.

"Hagrid, no! If you're gone, we'll have the Carrows for more detentions!"

"You're one of the only professors who still tries to fight back!"

"Please don't leave us alone, professor!"

Hagrid and Ginny looked up to see at least ten people at the door, with mixtures of sadness and grief etched onto their young faces. Neville smiled warmly; he had known many students had talked about coming to Hagrid's get together, but he didn't think that anyone besides he and Ginny would actually have the guts to show up.

There were many familiar faces in the crowd of nervous students. A beaten looking Seamus Finnegan led the pack, his head held high as he looked around the hut. Seamus had received many detentions with both Hagrid and the Carrows for his propensity to speak out against dark magic, and it was clear which teacher he preferred to serve time with. The change was consistent with the absence of his best friend who, last he had heard, was seen running with goblins. Closely following him was a horde of students slightly more fearful than he, including the likes of Ernie Macmillan, Terry Boot, and the Patil sisters. Though they didn't seem as determined as Seamus, they still came to the Potter party, and still supported Dumbledore's Army as best they could.

Hagrid felt a wave of comfort, looking at these courageous students, knowing that though many of them were members of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, they would easily be able to stand as equals in terms of bravery with those of Gryffindor house. He welcomed them inside, and because of his lack of seating, many of them were forced to stand.

No one said anything for a few seconds, before Neville hesitantly spoke up. "Is there anyone else coming?"

Many of them looked slowly at one another. "I don't think so; everyone here agreed to come together, and I don't think too many younger students would want to risk it." Michael Corner answered grimly.

Ginny looked as if she were about to explode. "Why did you all come here?! Do you not realize how dangerous this is? Who will we have detention with if we get caught, hm? Certainly not the one we were seen with after hours!"

Seamus looked almost insulted, and answered hotly, "What's your excuse then, Ginny? Why the bloody hell are you here?"

She began to glare at the bruised boy before retorting, "I came to warn Hagrid; nothing more."

Lavender Brown scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Like you're one to talk, Weasley. Who was it that tried to sneak the _sword of Godric Gryffindor_ right from under the big nose of that bastard Snape? I seem to recall that _you_ were part of that little escapade, along with Longbottem over there." She finished with a flick of her head in Neville's direction, her scratched up arms still crossed over her chest.

If looks could kill, Lavender would certainly be a puddle. "This is completely_ different_, you stupid-"

"ENOUGH!" Hagrid shouted, causing almost everyone in the room to jump back and look fearfully at the giant. Only Ginny and Lavender continued to give each other dirty looks. "Sorry ter scare yeh lot, but I didn' ask yeh here to start screamin' at each other." He looked pointedly at the two angry girls. "Allies at the school are beginnin' ter run out. Yer best option is to get along, seein' as everyone here wants the same thing. So quit yer bellyaching, and have somethin' to eat."

Lavender and Ginny reluctantly looked away from each other, while everyone else helped themselves to tea, leaving the rock cakes almost untouched.

Ginny looked back at Hagrid, and said "I've heard the other teachers talking, Hagrid. They're scared for you. McGonagall heard about the party, and she's terrified that you got other people involved. She heard the Carrows talk about 'worse punishment' for blood traitors."

Hannah started to cry. "This isn't Hogwarts anymore, is it?"

Nevilled looked at the girl, pity and sadness all etched onto his tired features. "No it's not." He looked at the rest of the group, the group who fought so hard for what was right. "But we'll make it better. Even though Luna isn't here," he heard a small wail, "I'm almost positive she's still alive. She's tougher than she looks. It's been hard lately for the DA, I know, but as long as we stick together-"

"Um, Neville?" Ginny interrupted. Neville stopped his speech to give Ginny the floor. She paused, and said quietly, "I don't think I'm coming back after Easter holidays."

Neville gaped, but it was surprisingly Lavender who asked incredulously, "Why?"

Ginny sighed, not even noticing it was Lavender who spoke, and replied, "My mum and dad think that something's going to happen after Easter, something really big. And," she clenched her fists, "they don't want me a part of it."

Everyone looked surprised, while Hannah quietly asked, "Is there anything else your parents know?" No one said a word as they stared at the blushing girl. She looked embarrassed before she stammered out, "I-I'm so sorry. I don't mean to be rude, it's just, well, we don't get too much information from Potterwatch, and half the time we can't even find the station, so if you-"

"I get it." Ginny interrupted. Everyone was now looking at her, for they knew that she was probably the closest person in the room to The Chosen One.

"I've heard a few things. Ron, for one thing, stayed with my brother Bill for a little while. Rumor is, he abandoned Harry and Hermione while they were on the run." Most people looked surprised at this, knowing full well that the three Gryffindors were very close. "He left, and Bill told me it was to find them and apologize. Sounds like something Ron would do, so I didn't question it."

She heard someone snicker in the corner, and, turning to face whoever it was, she scowled. No one noticed that Zacharias Smith had somehow snuck his way into Hagrid's quarters.

He pompously stated, "So Golden Boy Potter is running away, huh? Can't say I'm surprised, but the ignorance that you lot have is astounding! Especially you Ravenclaws! Potter's leading us on! I'll bet you that coward is lounging in another country right now, it's certainly what I would do..."

"Well Smith, good thing you're not Harry then." Ginny replied coldly. She'd always despised the Hufflepuff, and with a bunch of torturers in charge, her feelings for him had only grown more hateful.

Seamus was looking confusedly at Smith, as were many others. "Well, if Harry's not hiding, what_ is_ he up to? I haven't heard anything since someone told me that he infiltrated the ministry."

Ginny stiffened a bit at the minor accusation. "Well, first of all, I can confirm that rumor." Many people began to whisper among themselves at the implication, but were quieted once they realized Ginny was about to continue. "Secondly, all I know is that Dumbledore left Harry some kind of mission, to find something. Some way to defeat You-Know-Who that only Harry could do. And if anyone here," she looked directly at Smith, who was shaking his head at what he thought was her ignorance, "ever believed in Dumbledore or Harry, then you should believe that he's doing what's right." She sniffed, and smiled slightly. "I know I do."

Most people seemed pleased at this answer, for over the years, Harry had not only been a mentor, but a friend. They spent the rest of their time discussing theories of what exactly Harry could be looking for. From the outrageous theories that Seamus concocted ("It has to be another giant snake! Harry _is_ a Parselmouth, and You-Know-Who looks like a snake. Snake vs. snake!") to the more interesting theories that came surprisingly from Lavender ("I think it might be a sword. I mean, Dumbledore left him Gryffindor's sword, right?") no one seemed to think that they'd ever guess correctly. As it got later, people began to say their goodbyes, leaving only Hagrid, Neville, and Ginny left in the hut.

Hagrid turned to Ginny, who had calmed down after tea and kind words. She seemed a bit more relaxed. "See, nothin' happened."

As if on cue, Fang began barking, loudly and viciously. Meanwhile, Ginny and Neville were both on high alert, wands out and faces blank. But Hagrid could see they were shaking.

"Run! Out the back door with yeh!" Hagrid whispered, and almost shoved the two outside. "I'll be the one ter handle this."

"But Hagrid-" Ginny cried, while the door had simultaneously been slammed in her face. What Hagrid wouldn't give for an invisibility cloak. Or a wand.

Hagrid braced himself for the Carrows and Snape, knowing full well that they were behind the door. He heard shouting and whimpers, causing him to shoot up like a rocket and open his front door with a loud _crash_.

Ginny and Neville were panting, their wands steady in their hands, and Minerva McGonagall stood stiffly over the unconscious body of Alecto Carrow.

"That bitch." Ginny grumbled, wiping her forehead with her robes. "She got me with a bloody cutting spell."

"Language, Miss Weasley." McGonagall said, though not too sternly. She turned to the half-giant, a look of sadness written on her features. "Professor Carrow was coming to get rid of you, and she claimed that it would be 'for good', so I followed her to make sure you would be okay. Thankfully, she had no idea about this little," she waved her arms for emphasis, "whatever this is."

Hagrid let out a sigh of relief.

"Hagrid, I hate that I need to say this, but you need to leave," McGonagall said quietly, her sunken eyes trained on the ground. "If she was coming down here this late at night, and she didn't know about your get together... She didn't see who attacked her, but we'll need to alter her memory. Is it alright with you if I make her think you were the one to knock her out?"

Hagrid puffed out his chest, heart beating with pride. "Do whatever yeh need ter do to stay alive. I'll be okay."

McGonagall looked at him gravely, and began the spell. Neville nodded sullenly, before asking Ginny whether she could fix the arm that had apparently been broken in the scuffle. Though he had improved a lot in the past year, he still didn't think he was ready for such complicated magic. Ginny finished just as McGonagall completed altering the memory of Alecto Carrow.

"She thinks you clubbed her in the head, like a savage beast, to knock her out. It was the best I could do."

Hagrid smiled. "Thanks Professor."

Ginny began to tear up, and ran over to her friend and engulfed him in a hug, saying, "Hagrid, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I got mad, you probably knew this was one of your last days. I'm sorry."

She released him, smiled, and McGonagall came over for one last word.

"Promise you'll be safe, Hagrid. No more Support Harry Potter parties. I mean, what would Potter say if you got yourself killed for something so stupid?" she asked, chuckling a bit at the end.

Hagrid took one look at McGonagall and his students, and knew that they would be okay. They were brave. They would survive. "I'll do my best, don' worry bout that. Take care of them, Professor. I won' be around for an easy detention anymore."

McGonagall nodded, and began leading Neville and Ginny back towards the castle.

Hagrid called to Fang, and started to walk towards the Forbidden Forest. His first order of business was to find Grawp. He knew that if he went into hiding, he would have to have his brother at his side. Grabbing a Weasley firework that he had left carelessly in his garden, he turned around one last time, looked in what he hoped was Ginny and Neville's direction, and gave his former students one last piece of needed advice.

"Stay strong."

No average student had been to Hagrid's hut that night, but they could all see the inspiring words written clearly in the sky.


End file.
